Another Non-Ron Paul Relative for Ron Paul

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign announces an endorsement from Rep. Tim Johnson, the rarely-quoted, inscrutable member from central/eastern Illinois. The words attributed to Johnson in the release are downright flag-waving: “The Ron Paul Revolution has indeed taken hold in this country and I am proud to be able to stand with this great American.” The Johnson endorsement requires a big shift to my chart of Ron Paul’s congressional endorsements. Previously, Paul had been backed by Rep. Justin Amash, Rep. Walter Jones, and Sen. Rand Paul. The Johnson endorsement changes the game: Johnson’s turf in Illinois happens to cover Champaign-Urbana, the locus of the University of Illinois. Coincidentally enough, Paul is campaigning on that campus tomorrow. Illinois doesn’t have party registration, which makes it one of the increasingly-rare places where liberal Paul fans can show up and pull Republican ballots. Can it matter for Paul? No idea. In 2008, he won 5 percent of the vote statewide in Illinois, and 7 percent in Champaign County.